Thursday, 22 September 2016

My unplanned home birth story at 40 weeks and 6 days!

I had been waiting for weeks and the suspense of finally having my little boy here was beginning to build. Mike, my sister (Courtney) and myself had been to anti-natal classes ( I was offered these because i was classed as a young mum being pregnant at 19/20). I read everything I could think of on the internet about labour and birth. I felt i was ready!

On my due date (26th June 2016), I made sure I had everything prepared, I had washed all of Cohen's clothes, my hospital bag had been packed for weeks. Cohen had dropped a few weeks before and was sitting there, so i knew it could have been a matter of time. Mike was constantly texting me asking if I had gone into labour yet (we weren't living together at the time so we were texting each other throughout the day.)

After spending hours sat on my gym ball, bouncing away, walking, eating curry and god knows what else my due date came and went.The sitting around was killing me. However, I wasn't surprised that he was being stubborn, especially if he is anything like his father hehe.

At 40 weeks+4 days I went and saw my midwife. She decided she would give me a sweep as i was now officially overdue. Honestly the sweep wasn't as bad as some people made it sounds. Yes it was uncomfortable, and a little embarrassing, but all the time your relaxed its nothing.

I was told expect to have some cramping, some bloody show ( brown, pink or red discharge) and back ache. I was also informed that if nothing happened within 48 hours then it hadn't worked. So I went home and put my feet up with a hot water bottle to ease the back ache.

Later that evening I decided to go to bed early and make the most of the sleep, but as soon as i climbed into bed all the aches and cramps stopped, which signaled false labour. (False labour is when your body goes the motions of contractions, but you don't actually dilate or go into active labour)

I woke up the next morning and I had the same back ache again but it was much stronger and I could feel the pulses coming and going. But again, they had not pattern which indicated false labour. I went about my day slowly feeling more and more uncomfortable. By the evening I was struggling to sit down and I could only really get comfortable walking around.

My mum suggested going shopping with Courtney and then coming home, to have a nice relaxing bath. I went shopping with Courtney, and as I walked around ASDA I could feel the tightenings at the bottom of my stomach. They were uncomfortable but bearable.

Once we had finished I went home and had a bath as suggested and then went to bed and again the pain subsided again and I thought it was false labour.

2nd July 2016
I woke up at 3 am with what I can only describe as a tight band around my stomach and really bad backache. This was it! I was in labour! So i did everything I remembered from my anti-natal classes. I sat on my gym ball and timed the contractions on my phone. They were about every 8 minutes apart.

Once I knew there was a pattern and it was actually labour, I went up stairs to wake my mum and tell her. At 5 am I decided it was a good idea to call Mike and tell him the good news. He was extremely excited. we decided it was a good idea for him to have a shower, get ready and come to mine, seen as we had plenty of time and he didn't need to rush.

We kept each other updated as we went along. He decided he was going to get the train and then the bus to my house as the bus that went directly to my house wasn't running that early. The more he messaged me the more i stressed not to panic as we had ages before i would have to go to the hospital.

Meanwhile, the contractions were getting stronger and i was beginning to have small 2 minute contractions in between. So I called the hospital, who recommended I take some paracetamol and have a bath.

My mum went and ran me a bath whilst i sat downstairs itching to get into this bath and get some relief. Courtney was sat beside me whilst I was in the bath timing my contractions. They had jumped from 7 to 2 minutes apart.

*WARNING!!! THIS MAYBE WHERE THINGS BEGIN TO GET A LITTLE DISGUSTING!!*

Then I felt the sudden need to get out of the bath, I climbed out and sat on the toilet as I felt I needed to poo. I asked Courtney to call back and tell them that the pains were getting close together and that i was struggling to cope with the pain.

I had decided that once Mike had got here I would go to the hospital. I got Courtney to call my best friend who had agreed to take me to the hospital if I needed her too, but she didn't answer.

(This is where things get a big hazy as things seemed to whiz by after this point)

Within seconds i had told courtney to call for an ambulance because my gut instinct had told me that i wasnt going to get the hospital. With every contraction I was feeling the need to poo and I couldn't help but push.

I want to say that this point it was about 7:30 am and i was on the floor in the bathroom contracting and moaning. Then i suddenly felt as pop. My waters had broken!!!! And with that there was a knock at the door, Mike was here! I was so relieved! Courtney at this point was still on the phone to the hospital and they had sent an ambulance was on its way to us.
Courtney passed the phone to Mike and told us they had asked to lay me down on the bed. The contraction doubled!!

I remember Mike asking questions to my mum and then him saying the replies on the phone. the ambulance people arrived and gave me some gas and air. Gas and air is the best thing going I am really disappointed that you cant buy that stuff over the counter.

Thats when things got really hazy,between then and 9am the midwives turned up and i was 8 cm dilated.
I was then being told to push. After some time of pushing they explained to me that his heartbeat kept dropping and that they would have to give me a episiotomy ( this is when they make a cut to the muscle between your vagina and your anus). They did it and I didn't even feel it. The next thing I know I'm being told to keep pushing and then he was out. I felt the sudden relief as he entered the world. The room was silent for a few seconds and then he let out a scream.

That was the most amazing moment of my life! never have i from that moment known love like i do for that little boy! My mum took many pictures after he was born, and i would put them on here but they are special to me and Its not something I want everyone in the world to see.

So here he is Cohen Martin Brown, Born on the 2nd of July 2016 weighing 8lb2oz. Born on his nana's bed.

2 comments:

This is an incredible story! Thank you for sharing your experience. I support all mothers to tell their tale of labor and birth, because no two are alike. And you know what? Reading honest experiences helps me with preparing for when my little one arrives. : )